Why You Should Say
NO to Nightlights (& Other Top Recommendations to Sleep Well)
Ever wonder why you sometimes sleep better in hotels? Provided the mattress
is a comfy one, most hotels have one key thing in common: black out shades.
Those heavy drapes not only help keep out street noise, but also they block
all light, giving your body the ideal environment for a good night's sleep.
Did you know that letting your little one have a nightlight could actually
keep him from falling asleep?
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Sleep Starts in Your Brain
Sometimes called the 'third eye,' the pineal gland is a small gland in your
brain that notices light and dark to make melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone
that regulates your circadian rhythms (your waking and sleeping patterns).
Besides helping you sleep at night, melatonin plays other roles in your
body. It is an antioxidant that is linked to lower incidence of cancer and
has been shown to boost immunity as much as vitamin C!1
Bright Days, Dark Nights
The pineal gland needs darkness to produce the melatonin that tells
your body it's time to sleep. Any light you receive at night can confuse your
pineal gland and decrease your body's production of melatonin. That's why
the heavy drapes in hotels keep you asleep longer.
Without adequate amounts of melatonin, you could be more prone to sleep
disorders, lethargy, depression, disease, and weaken other systems in your
body. If you have trouble sleeping, read: Sleeping
Trouble? Discover Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right.
Make More Melatonin
To naturally stimulate your body's production of melatonin, you need to
maximize your exposure to natural sunlight during the day and maximize
the darkness in your room at night. Since sleeping in a hotel room is not
feasible for most of us, here are some practical tips for maximizing your
melatonin production while staying in your own bed each night:
- Go outside for 20 minutes every day, even on cloudy days. The
exposure to daylight will help set your internal alarm clock.
- Dim the lights and even better yet, light up those romantic candles.
Wind down any activities at least one hour before you plan to be nodding
off to sleep. Choose only quiet activities once dinner is finished.
Create a regular bedtime routine with soft music and a hot, calming bath.
-
Removing all light in your room, even from electronics and alarm
clocks, will help you get a good night's sleep. Sleep in complete
darkness and wake up gently with the Zen
Alarm Clock.
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Turn off the TV and computer at least an hour before bed! The light
from the TV and computer screen mimic natural daylight and confuses your
pineal gland thus inhibiting its production of melatonin.
- Make sure your bedroom is completely dark.
- Get curtains that block out all light or sleep with comfortable eye
shades.
- Eliminate clutter and distractions from your bedroom space.
- Bright digital alarm clocks, computers and cordless phones often emit
enough light to interrupt melatonin production. Remove these electronics
from your room and instead, use the Zen
Alarm Clock to help you sleep and wake more healthfully.
- Don't use a night light in your room OR in your child's room. Nightlights
also disturb your natural melatonin production.
- When you get up in the middle of the night, try not to use any lights
or at least keep them dim. If you need to use the bathroom or get water,
try not to turn on a bright light. Instead, use a dimmer switch to keep
the lights low.
A good night's sleep is one of the secrets for keeping your body younger
and healthier. It's an important way to create a happier and more productive
tomorrow as well.
Remember, it takes time for your body to adjust to a new routine, but with
these tips you'll soon be on your way to relaxing, restful sleep.
If you want an opportunity to absorb more sunlight this winter and want
to comprehensively learn the most advanced and effective dietary and
lifestyle program available, come to our upcoming Certified
Body Ecologist training in Florida!
Sources:
1 Batt, Sharon. "What Light Through Yonder Window Wreaks: Circadian
Rhythms and Breast Cancer." BCAction.org September 2000. http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/SearchablePages/2000Newsletters/Newsletter061A.html
Raloff, J. "Does Light Have a Dark Side? Nighttime illumination might
elevate cancer risk" ScienceNews.org 17 October 1998. http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc98/10_17_98/19981017fob.asp
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